Rotary engine.



' c. FRANCO.

ROTARY ENGINE.- APPLIOATION TILED OOT.25, 1912.

Patented June 17, 1913 As sums-SHEET 1. Y

FRANCO.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocmzs, 1912.

Patented June .17, 1913,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. FRANCO. RGTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION vFILED 00T.25, 1912.

gwfw' w.

--tion of part-s more -fully `heieinuifter ycleparticularly -pointed out in the ritiri) `stingerns rnririsr gorinteri;i.,

CESARE misnomer NEW YORK, N. Y.

'ROTARY ENGINE.

specicaton of Letters Patent. ltnteii ted J u n e t tti?. Application tiled ,etobeli 25,:1912.

Serial No. Tg2 7,766.

` useful improvements i-nRotaryv-Eng-ines. of

which theV following ,is-a speeilioation This invention relates to improve-ments in rotary engines, and liasforitsfobjeet'to provide nn ollicient undfeoinpzirnti-Vely .simple- .engine ot this type that may be used for .various purposes zandone in which theerevif'ersi-ng ot 'the szune may be eleeted in :t

simple, mlitious `and easyjma'nner.

To th se ends the invention consists 1n= the novel details ot construction :and combina- .se-ribed ind claims.

Referring to the accompanying dna-Wings forming av part of this specification inwheh like numerals designate like part-sijn kall the \vie=Ws:-ls`igure l is n side elevationalyiew .of my improved engine. Fig. 2 is zt-vertical sectional View thereof. Fig. Siis n horizontal seetionalview thereof. u

lil-yiniproved engine eonsistsof'a base l in -theupper'bearing portion 2 of .which is A.secured the shaft?) for supporting' the cylindrical rotor 4l. iThe shzit'thnsits squared lends Sheld Wit-hin the bearings bynpenns of thenuts Gund. is provided :it its central portion-with the. enlarged ecrentrienlly inounted stationary-,head 7. vCentral portsS and S) vin eneh end ot the shutt Communicating with `the radial ports l und l1 in the stationary diend, torni `the passages through which sten-ni is admitted to the rotor.

,The rotor censists ot.' :i cylindrical wheel revolubly held by the yheurin; s l2 und 13 to theshntt 3ka-nd provided with the enlarged rentrnl 'or cylinder portion .1l andrndi-.il spokes l5 land-16, the .spokes 1G of Yu 'hioh nre 'of different construetion than .the spokes l5 to provide n housing 'for the opposedpistons 17 and 18. The pistons are .slildbly `fitted in the spokes -16 and. cylinder; 1.4, and are preferably ot forli, formation .so |that their opposed yinnerends strndille the eccentric stmtionarycylinder;laeadgl as `shoivn in yFig. l-lelienl eon-ipressien -springs lt) .und mounted Within the outer 'fonds of .the spokes 11,6 .andibeering ege net the outerend ot the pistons, nornnilly hold the saine in Contact with thenylinder head 7. Ilxtending springs 2l. .und 213 bearing l againstI the inner ends of the pistons: forni 'ti-e yielding connection therebetween. 1.. .-.eking bars Q3 and 2l, lonnted in the 'spokes 1G, are normally heldin contant with ithe sides of the pistons by means .of the Compression springs the tension ot'lW-hieh is .controlled by means of the -udjusting .screws 26. These packing bars :is is evident, -a.re;z1olapted .to prevent the escnpeinent ot' .stes-m behindthe pistons.

A gear 27 mounted on the cylindrical \,\Wheel and meshing with a geur 2S held by .theibearing 29 to the frame of the engine, .isadaptedto operate through theeecenti-ie `drive.1od:'30ithe means for controlling the ,-.dmissionofsteani to the rotor. The valve chest 31 has vonV one side n ange 32 .which is bolted. on one side to the valve .supporting frame. V33,y and. on its other side has e. flange 34: which is bolted-to the inziinv steam supply pipe. The passages` 35 and 36 in the valve chest, communicate re- .speetively, with the exhaust passage 37 und steam passage 3S und these in turn connnu- `niente .with the interior of the cylinder by ineens of the supply pipes 39 and 40 and supply ports in the shaft, respectively. The

-to control the admission of stennifroijn the steam inlet stil-to the steanrpzissage 38, .and to eieet eonununicton between the exhaust passage and the outlet 4t?) Mwhich connnunicntes with the vexhaust pipe lll. Thus when the parts nrenrlanged .as shown in Fig. 2, the vnlve 4l inovesnpwardly so as .to clear thepussage 36, thestezun will pass :from the inlet- 42through the: passages 36 und 25S. pipe 39, ports 9 and-l1 and intothe Cylinder. lere itA will niet on the piston 1S turning the saine together With the Wheel in the direction of the narrow-until the piston passes beyond the port 10,-wl1ereu1mn .passages l0, S. pipe l0 und valve paissage and when. the vulve is raised so ns-.toplnre .the eliainber therein in coniniuniention xwith fthefpnssnge 3.3, the stonni moving intofthis charniberm'ill seek outlet throughitlle outlet th maine iis oontrolled Vby the eccentric -Valve All slides-inthe-.valve bemand opeiates the `steam will pass outwardly through the Bland exhnushpipe 44.. l."lhe:movement.of i0 ment is given toa crank arm '5 0 on the-,shaft 51, and by means ofthe a-rxnqa link is-.ac-

tuated which rocks the lever-"52 to reciprocate the valve rod 53 and shiftlthe valve so as to permit-the'entranceofthe steam or its".

exhaust. The fulcrum of the lever'is located at the end ofan arm 54 whichl may be raised or lowered by means of 'the lever 55 and locked in a segmentat theouterend of the lever '55 so thatv the movement may be in the direction ofgthe arrowAA or reversed in the direction of the arrow'B.,l

As illustrated in'-Fig'.'2 the'po'sitionfof the valve is neutral, but when steamis admitted throughfthe passage-'36, the wheel is rotated in the directlon of the arrow C, the-.exhaust taking place through the ports 10, 8, pipe-40 and ports 37 and 35, but when the lever 55 is thrown into the position indicated in Fig. 2 by A, steam is admitted through the ports 35, 3T, pipe 40 and ports 8 and 10 to drive theeccehtric to the'left., the steam exhausting ,through the port 1l. It will thus be seen that by changing the position of the fulcrum through the lever 55, the engine may be driven in one direction or'the other,

It is obvious that those skilled in the a'rt may vary.5 the details of construction and arrangements ofparts without departing from the spirit of my invention and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such feay tures except asmay be required by *the claims. 0

What is claimed as new 1s: 1. In a rotary engine having a suitable jbase, journal bearings provided upon said base, a stationary shaft suitably supported in 'said bearings, an eccentrically held cylindrical head rigidly mounted upon the shaft, steam ports in the ends of the shaft and steam ports in said eccentric cylindrical' head communicating with the ports in the shaft,"a. rotor having a cylindrical chamber ladapted to admit said .cylindrical head mounted uponthe shaft, reciprocal pistons upon the rotoradapted to contact with the surface of the eccentric head, suitable packing-plates yieldingly impinging the pistons, a steam chest and -valve chamber having a "suitable reciprocal valve suitably seated therein and ports connected with the steam ports of the shaft by radial steam pipes, -in combinationwith means for controlling the valve and reversing the engine, comprising a gear rigidly secured upon the rotor and lmeshing with a gearwheel held upon a bearing provided upon the base adapted to rotate an eccentric having a drive rod thereon,

' the drive rod being connected with the arm of a. crank shaft, said arm being connected by a link with the arm of a lever adapted for reciprocating the valve of the engine, saidlever having its fulcrum connected by a enginemay be reversed.

link with the arm of a hand lever, saidhand leven being pivotally mounted upon the f rar'efandhaving l'one arm suitably supl ported upon a segmental guide, substantially as the;4A set forth.

`2;I-x a*'iota'r'y engine having a suit-able base, jofufrnfalvbearings provided 1n said base, a shaft. rigidly heldin' said bearings, anI eccentrically. held' cylindrical head rigidly mountedupon'the gishaft, 1a rotor having a cylindrical chamber." g centrally disposed 'therein v adapted fr' admitting the cylindrical head, spring-controlled reciprocal pistons adapted to Contact with the surface. of

the head withfsuitablezinlet and outlet ports for steam,and asteam chest having a valve l seat therein, a valve seated in said seat and a rod provided upon said valve, said rod extending through the wallof the valve chamber,'the combination of .suitable means for' controlling the admission of steam to the engine whereby the engine may be reversed, comprising a rocking lever having its central portion pivotally connected to the end of said valverod, its fulcrum end connected by a link to oneY arm of `a hand lever'pivotally mountedI upon the base of .the engine, said lever having its other arm adjustably secured to a segment supported upon the wall of the steam chest and theopposite arm ofthe rocking lever being secured by a link to the arm ofan eccentrically controlled crank shaft, whereby the valve is reciprocated, said hand lever serving as' means for v shifting the` position of the, reciprocating valve whereby the rotary movement of the 3. In a rotary engine having I a suitable;-

base, journal bearings, shaft, rotor and lpia-- tons adapted'to propel the rotor, suitable steam pipes, and inlet and outlet ports comsteam chest having a suitable supply pipe lmunicating withv the steam pipes, and a v connected therewith, a suitable valve for ad- ',mitting steam from the supply pipe and a suitable exhaust pipe, the combination of a reciprocable valve disposed within a valve seat provided within the steam chest, said valve having a valve r'od rigidly secured "to y 'V chamber and the rotor, are alternately opened and closed, said valve having a cham-v ber provided inthe central portion thereof .whereby communication may be established with the( exhaust pipe and either one of the `ports communicating with the pipes .leading to the chamber of the rotor and pistons, said valve and ports beings@ disposed within thel valve 'seat lthatthe supply pipe is in communication withfthe `other of said ports at 'lee A hand lever'whereby the position of the rock- I 'such times whereby the steam may be ad- Verse the movementof the engine, substanmitted to the engine through either port, i tially as and for the purposes set `forth. y 10 said valve rod being suitably connected with In testimony whereof I affix my signature a rocking leven adapted for reciprocating in presence of two witnesses.

the Valve, said lever being connected by a Y CESARE FRANCO.

link to the end of one arm ofv an adjustable lWitnesses:

Gmo. AoKMAN,`Jr.,

GEO. A. BYRNE.

ing lever may be changed as required tore- Copies of this patent me);Y be obtained foriive cents each, by addressing 'the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

